Heleaned in a little closer until his silver gaze filed her vision.
“You’regoing to die now, comarré, but before you do, I want you toknow that I feel no remorse. In fact, you’re going to getexactly what you deserve.”
“That’swhat you think.” She got the words out between her grittedteeth. Her strength was leaving her, seeping out of her body with herlife’s blood, but all she could think of was how she’dnever hated anyone the way she hated him. Then Dominic’s wordscame back to her. There is power in emotion. Harness it, and hecannot beat you.
“It’swhat I know,” Arnaud hissed. Mouth open, he reared back tostrike, no doubt to tear her throat out.
Holymother, help me. She focused on one small movement, one tiny use ofthe rage boiling inside her. Her fist came up, and as he descended,they met. Her dagger. His chest.
Thelook of surprise in his eyes almost made her smile. “Go tohell,” she whispered as her body went cold. A cloud of ashdrifted down over her, quieting the sounds around her.
“Dominic?”She called for him, unsure if she was actually vocalizing or justhearing his name in her head. Dominic, help me.
Eachfragment of ash blocked more and more of the room’s light as itfell until the light dimmed to nothing. And then, nothing light as itfell until the light dimmed to nothing. And then, nothing was allthat remained.
* **
Atthe sound of his name on Marissa’s lips, Dominic rushedforward, sliding onto his knees at her side. He cradled her head.
“I’mhere, cara mia.” She still had breath in her body but herheartbeat was weak and thready.
“Gethelp,” he snarled at the older comarré standingdumbstruck at the ballroom’s edge. “Now,” he yelled
Thewoman shook her head. “No.”
“No?”he snarled. “Porca puttana, she’s dying.”
“She’snot dying. She’s comarré. Eventually, she’ll heal.But not here.” Rennata lifted her chin, but something close toenvy glazed her eyes. “She wanted her freedom; she has it. Withlibertas, the Primoris Domus is no longer responsible for her.”
Sheshifted her gaze to Marissa. “Comarré Marissa Lapointe,I hereby declare you free. The Primoris Domus no longer claims youand you may no longer claim it. You have twenty-four hours to vacatethe city of Corvinestri. Be well” With that, she turned on herheel and strode away.
“Bewell?” Fury suffused the emptiness where Dominic’s soulhad once been. He would have gone after Rennata, but that would notserve Marissa. She needed him. Carefully, he lifted her into hisarms. “I’ve got you, bella mia,” he whispered asher blood soaked through the sleeves of his coat. “You’resafe now.
bloodsoaked through the sleeves of his coat. “You’re safe now.
Staywith me, my love.” He turned toward the door. “Stay withme.”
LordZephrim stood in his way. “You choose to side with thiscomarré?”
“Si.Now move.” There wasn’t time for this.
Buthe stayed put. “Are you mad?”
Themoment for subterfuge was gone. “I love her. I plan to spendthe rest of my days with her. Now get the hell out of my way.”Dominic started for the doors again.
“Youlove a comarré?” He stared, mouth agape, still blockingDominic’s path.
“Yes,”Dominic hissed. “Enough that I would have killed Arnaud myselfif she would have let me.”
Zephrim’sjaw snapped shut in obvious horror. “You leave me no choice.The rest of your days will not be spent here, nor will they be spentas nobility.” He shook slightly, perhaps in anger. “DominicFalconetti, because of your association with this comarré andthe death of one of our own she has caused, I declare you anathema.”
Theword chilled Dominic, but he kept moving. It was what he hadexpected.
Zephrimyelled after him. “Al your material possessions are consideredforfeit and will be retained by the House of St.
Germainfor redistribution as I see fit. Do you understand me?
Asfar as the council is concerned, you’re as much to blame for Asfar as the council is concerned, you’re as much to blame forArnaud’s death as she is. There is no coming back. You havenothing because of this. Nothing because of her.”
“You’rewrong.” Dominic turned so he could push the double doors openwith his back and avoid jarring Marissa. “Because of her, Ihave everything.”
ChapterFourteen
ParadiseCity, New Florida, three months later Here?” the doctor asked.
“No.”Maris stared at the clinic ceiling. Water spots browned several ofthe tiles.
Hemoved lower and pricked the skin above her ankle.
“Here?”
“No.”She sighed in frustration and tried not to grit her teeth.
Thefeeling had been coming back slowly, but that was her business andhers alone. “Nothing anywhere.”
Thedoctor shook his head. “No change, then.”
Sheshoved the cheap cloth gown down over her legs.
“That’swhat I’ve been trying to tell you. A little feeling in my hips,but nothing more.” Admitting that much had been an accident,but with practice, she’d raised her pain threshold. The scratchof his little metal tines barely registered now.
Hemade a note in his tablet. “I’ll leave you to getdressed, then.”
then.”
Assoon as he shut the door, she hoisted her legs over the side andstared at her feet. Her toes were painted a soft pink.
Dominichad bought the polish to surprise her, but what had surprised hermore was her dangerous, anathema vampire had then painted her toes aswell She laughed softly. He was something else.
Hersmile faded. So long as that something else didn’t turn dark.She knew how hard things would get once they’d run through theremainder of her funds, something they were already close to thanksto the medical care she’d needed. Poor Dominic.
Becauseof her, he’d been forced to leave everything behind but theclothes on his back. If he hadn’t paid for the chartered planethat had brought them here before he’d been thrown out ofCorvinestri, they might still be stuck there.
Likeher daughter.
Thatthought alone was enough to refocus her efforts. She stared at hertoes, wiling her body to pay attention, praying the holy mother wouldgive her one last chance to— Her pinkie toe curled a halfcentimeter toward the floor.
Aknock on the door drowned out her excited gasp. She shook herself,blinking hard and trying to act
